Hamilton Academicals FC

[DavidMc]

Hamilton Academical is a football club from Hamilton, Scotland. They were established in 1874 from Hamilton Academy. More commonly known as "Hamilton Accies" the team won promotion from SFL Division 2 to SFL Division 1 in the 2003-04 season. This was followed up by promotion to the Scottish Premier League in the 2007-08 season. The club have played at New Douglas Park from 2001, having previously played at Douglas Park.

Hamilton Academical FC were formed in late 1874 by the Rector and pupils of the local school, Hamilton Academy. Membership of the Scottish Football League came in November 1897 when Renton were forced to resign.

The club has reached the Scottish Cup Final twice in their history, losing to Celtic and Rangers in 1911 and 1935, respectively.

In 1971 Accies became the first football club in the United Kingdom to recruit players from behind the Iron Curtain when three Polish players were signed to the club amid great publicity.

Success came in the late 1980s when Hamilton was promoted to the Premier League twice (in 1986 and 1988), but both spells in the top division lasted for one season only. In 1991 and 1992 the club won the Scottish League Challenge Cup. In 1994 new ground regulations saw the club vacate Douglas Park, their home since 1888, and sell the land to make way for a retail park. The club shared a ground with Albion Rovers and Partick Thistle (2 spells) for the next seven years. Hamilton also endured a much publicised forced relegation to the Third at the end of the 1999-2000 season.

The club's fortunes have since turned: in the 2001-02 season the club finally returned to Hamilton to a stadium just yards from the old site, and also secured a place in Division One for the 2004-05 season. Hamilton remained in the Scottish First Division over the next few seasons and achieved a very respectable 4th place position in the 2006-2007 season. The 2007-08 season has seen the Accies gain promotion to the Scottish Premier League. On 19 April Hamilton secured the championship and promotion to the Scottish Premier League, for the first time since 1988.

[DavidMc]

Pre-season schedule 08/09

Hamilton's squad return for pre-season training on 30 June.

The SPL newcomcers face a busy July with friendlies scheduled against Airdrie United (16 July), Berwick Rangers (17 July), Albion Rovers (22 July), Dumbarton (23 July) and East Fife (24 July) - all away from home.



Accies will field two sides against Billingham Synthonia and Huddersfield on 26 July.

Hamilton will take part in Hartlepool United's pre-season Centenary Tournament at the Victoria Ground - taking on either the home side or Sunderland (27 July)

Accies then take on Newcastle Blue Star (28 July) and Linlithgow Rose (5 August).

[DavidMc]

Going to be a tough season for them. Although I think they will surprise a few teams. They will be fighting relegation but not a certainty that they will go back down.

I can see them giving a few sides outwith the Old Firm a run for their money.

[DavidMc]

Hamilton v Dundee United
Scottish Premier League
Monday 11th August 08

Hamilton manager Billy Reid has a clutch of new men available as his side unfurl the First Division title flag on their Scottish Premier League bow.

New Finnish winger Sebastian Sorsa and fellow arrivals Sean Murdoch, Mark Corcoran, Derek Lyle, Lucas-Jordan Akins and Brian Carrigan could feature.

Dundee United will be without long-term injury victims Craig Conway (broken foot) and Keith Watson (knee).

New loan signing Roy O'Donovan, a Sunderland striker, is in the pool.



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Hamilton Accies (from): Murdoch, Elebert, Swailes, Gibson, Easton, McLaughlin, McCarthy, McArthur, Neil, Akins, Taylor, Mensing, Graham, Grady, Waterworth, Lyle, Sorsa, Corcoran, Carrigan, Offiong.

Dundee United (from): Zaluska, Dixon, Grainger, Dods, Wilkie, Kenneth, Kovacevic, Dillon, Flood, Gomis, Buaben, S Robertson, Swanson, Shala, Feeney, Sandaza, O'Donovan, D Robertson, McGovern.

[DavidMc]

Inverness CT v Hamilton
Scottish Premier League
Saturday 16th August 08
Caledonia Stadium

Inverness captain Grant Munro is doubtful for the visit of Hamilton after suffering a knee injury during last week's win against Aberdeen.

David Proctor is suspended and manager Craig Brewster hopes to add Stoke forward Adam Rooney to the squad.

Hamilton manager Billy Reid has a full squad to choose from.

French striker Joel Thomas, 21, may make the squad after signing on Monday, while Finnish winger Sebastian Sorsa is also pushing for a first-team place.



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Inverness (from): Fraser, Tokely, McGuire, McBain, Black, Barrowman, Imrie, Duncan, Cowie, Hastings, Esson, Djebi-Zadi, Sutherland, Wilson, McAllister, Wood, Kerr, Vigurs.

Hamilton (from): Cerny, Stevenson, Easton, McLaughlin, Swailes, McCarthy, McArthur, Neil, Mensing, Offiong, Graham, Corcoran, Akins, Sorsa, Elebert, Thomas, Taylor, Murdoch.

[DavidMc]

Hamilton Accies v Hibernian
Scottish Premier League
Saturday 20th September 08
Douglas Park Stadium

Hamilton Accies could give a debut to former West Ham full-back Trent McClenahan against Hibernian.

McClenahan was a free agent after leaving Hereford but played for Australia on the Olympics in Beijing. Defender Mark McLaughlin is still out.

Hibs are without Filipe Morais, Alan O'Brien and Kevin McCann through injury, while Sol Bamba is suspended.

Steven Thicot is doubtful with a leg problem, while Derek Riordan is still recovering from a groin injury.



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Hamilton: (from) Cerny, Stevenson, McCarthy, Canning, Elebert, Easton, Mensing, McArthur, Neil, Sorsa, Graham, Corcoran, Offiong, Akins, Murdoch, Casement, Lyle, Thomas.

Hibernian: (from) Ma-Kalambay, McNeil, Van Zanten, Hogg, Jones, Hanlon, Shiels, Murray, Keenan, Stevenson, Rankin, Riordan, Fletcher, Nish, Pinau,Thicot, Chisholm, Campbell.

[DavidMc]

Falkirk 4-1 Hamilton
Scottish Premier League
Saturday 27th September 08
New Brockville Stadium

Rampant Falkirk rose off the bottom of the table with a rout at home to Hamilton Academical.

Steve Lovell, a Scott Arfield double and Burton O'Brien's goals secured the victory, with the visitors' replay coming from debuant Trent McLenahan.

Lovell's close-range effort put Falkirk ahead before half-time before Scott Arfield's mazy run and shot and O'Brien's screamer.

Arfield hit a penalty for his second and Hamilton hit a late consolation.

Both began the match utilising fluid formations designed to get men forward when in possession and players back when not.

And it was one of Hamilton's roaming midfielders, James McCarthy, who was permitted the game's first sight of goal after five minutes only to blaze wildly past.

In a low-key opening, Falkirk midfielder Burton O'Brien had a shot blocked by David Elebert but it was Hamilton who enjoyed more of the possession in the early exchanges.

Ironically, the visitors' most decisive move then came after a concerted spell defending their own penalty area.

Whilst Falkirk failed to make real inroads, Accies swept up the field only for Bairns keeper Robert Olejnik to get his full body behind Derek Lyle's left-foot shot.

Hamilton counterpart Tomas Cerny looked less convincing as he challenged Steve Lovell for the ball on the edge of his six-yard box.

But, fortunately for the SPL newcomers, Simon Mensing was on hand to clear the loose ball off his line.

Falkirk were struggling to get their passing game going, with a lack of movement in front of hesitant defenders seeing moves break down too often in their own half.

The Bairns were also failing to cope with McCarthy's free role behind lone striker Joel Thomas.

The teenager turned away from home skipper Darren Barr far too easily in the 26th minute and the Scotland defender was lucky his tug on McCarthy's jersey took place just outside the area and that the free-kick came to nothing.

Falkirk finally threatened the Hamilton goal with two chances inside a minute.

First, Graham Barrett swivelled on Michael Higdon's pass but shot too close to Cerny and then he hit the side-netting after Higdon and Lovell had combined to find the Irishman space.

Nine minutes from the break, Tony Stevenson's inswinging corner had the home defence in trouble but Thomas' header was scooped over the bar by Olejnik.

With the break fast approaching, Falkirk finally ended the tedium with a well-worked goal.

Higdon's neat touch allowed Barrett to scamper into space just inside the box and his cross was knocked in from close range by Lovell.

Hamilton made a tactical switch at the start of the second period, with Mensing being pushed forward from right-back into central midfield and Stevenson moving back into defence.

However, McCarthy almost set up an equaliser within a minute of the restart.

The Republic of Ireland Under-21 international sent a magnificent reverse pass into the inside-right channel for James McArthur to run on to but the midfielder's shot was too weak and was held by Olejnik.

Mensing had a shot bravely blocked by Barr at one end before Cerny fisted away Kevin McBride's powerful drive as Falkirk responded with a counter-attack.

Both sides were producing far better fare but the visitors decided on a bold double-switch in the 55th minute, replacing Thomas and Lyle with Richard Offiong and Stephen Ettien, Wednesday's match-winner against Motherwell.

Within three minutes, Ettien came within a whisker of levelling. The Frenchman headed David Graham's cross against Olejnik's right-hand post with what looked like the aid of a touch from the Falkirk keeper and the Bairns won the ensuing scramble for the loose ball.

Falkirk midfielder Scott Arfield spoke prior to the game of adding more goals to his game and after a quiet display grabbed a superb second of the season in the 69th minute.

The Scotland under-21 cap ghosted past some despairing lunges as he drove at the Hamilton defence and his left-footed shot beat Cerny low to his left.

Two minutes later, the Bairns sealed all three points with a third when Cerny was culpable with a poor clearance straight to O'Brien.

The summer signing did not take the chance to shoot from distance towards an unguarded net but his eventual drive flew past the Czech keeper for a magnificent strike.

Lovell passed up an excellent opportunity for a fourth in the 79th minute as he blazed just wide from Arfield's pass and Cerny turned aside Higdon's effort eight minutes from time as Falkirk finished on top.

However, John Hughes' side were not to be denied and Arfield swept in a penalty three minutes from time after David Graham had taken down substitute Gerard Aafjes.

The visitors at least grabbed a consolation in the 90th minute as Olejnik could only turn McLenahan's cross into his own net.

[DavidMc]

Celtic 4-0 Hamilton Accies
Scottish Premier League
Saturday 4th October 08
Celtic Park

Celtic climbed back to the top of the Scottish Premier League table with a comfortable victory over Hamilton.

Shunsuke Nakamura gave the home side the lead after 25 minutes, firing in from an Aiden McGeady cross.

Georgios Samaras replaced Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink after 60 seconds and fired in the second in the 37th minute.

Scott McDonald slammed home a third in after 76 minutes and McGeady netted a late winner after James McArthur's penalty was saved by Artur Boruc.

Midfielder Barry Robson started the match at left-back, while in-form striker Samaras found himself rested on the bench.

Barely one minute after kick-off, Vennegoor of Hesselink limped off with a groin strain following a careless challenge on Hamilton's Alex Neil and Samaras took his place.

Fully 18 minutes expired before the first opportunity of the match arrived when Robson flighted in a ball to the back post.

Samaras nodded it down, but Hamilton keeper Tomas Cerny cleared off the line.

Four minutes later, the stalemate was broken when McGeady broke down the right hand side and delivered a delightful cross to the back post which Nakamura calmly collected and thundered into the back of the net from six yards out.

As the half-hour mark approached, McDonald was denied by the woodwork from close range.

Samaras doubled Celtic's lead and took his SPL tally into double figures with eight minutes of the first-half remaining. Nakamura collected a MacDonald lay-off and threaded a slick pass across the 18-yard line for the Greek international to power in.

On the stroke of half time, McGeady latched on to a McDonald pass deep inside the Hamilton penalty area, but tried to place the ball with only Cerny to beat and the Czech keeper blocked his shot.

The one-way traffic continued after the break with early chances for Samaras and McDonald as Hamilton struggled to gain a foothold on the game.

Brian Easton almost put the ball in the back of his own net in the 51st minute when he attempted to clear a McGeady cross.

With an hour played, Corcoran tried to out-jump the Celtic defence after Simon Mensing had flighted in a searching ball, but the former St Mirren man overstretched himself and the header drifted over.

Moments later, McCarthy broke free down the left-hand side and fired in a powerful drive from the edge of the Celtic penalty area, but failed to reach the target.

With 14 minutes left on the clock McDonald fired in Celtic's third. The Australian striker powered into the box and recovered from a challenge to double-back and slot home his third of the season.

The match still had some drama when Gary Caldwell appeared to fell McCarthy in the box and referee Conroy pointed to the spot. MY SPORT: DEBATE
What did you think of the match at Celtic Park?

James McArthur stepped up for the penalty-kick, but Celtic keeper Artur Boruc made a superb double-save by first diving to deny the shot, then leapt to pull off a reflexive save and block the re-bounded header.

The final say was left to McGeady in the 83rd minute when the Irish international benefited from a weaving run by Maloney.

The former Aston Villa man dribbled his way to the bye-line and cut back for McGeady to fire in past three Hamilton defenders.

[DavidMc]

Motherwell v Hamilton
Scottish Premier League
Saturday 1st November 08
Fir Park Stadium, Motherwell

Motherwell defender Paul Quinn returns from suspension for Saturday's Lanarkshire derby against Hamilton.

But captain Stephen Craigan and fellow centre-backs Brian McLean and Maros Klimpl are still out.

Hamilton will be without Chris Swailes after picking up a hamstring injury in the midweek Co-operative Insurance Cup defeat by Rangers.

Fellow defender Mark McLaughlin played 45 minutes for the reserves and is back in contention after six weeks out.



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Motherwell: (from) G Smith, Quinn, Hammell, Malcolm, Reynolds, Lasley, Hughes, Murphy, Clarkson, Porter, Sutton, McGarry, Fitzpatrick, O'Brien, D Smith, Page, Connolly, Nielsen.

Hamilton Accies: (from) Cerny, Mensing, Casement, Canning, McLaughlin, Easton, McCarthy, McArthur, Neil, Corcoran, Akins, Offiong, Graham, Ettien, Murdoch, Elebert, Lyle, Taylor.